1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with improved carts particularly designed for use in conjunction with wheelchairs. More particularly, the invention pertains to such carts wherein the carts may be releasably attached to any conventional wheelchair through an attachment system adapted to accommodate travel over uneven surfaces. In preferred forms the cart is configured to hold and transport items necessary for the care of the person utilizing the wheelchair. The present invention allows one caregiver to transport a patient in a wheelchair while simultaneously transporting other items necessary for the patient's care all while minimizing the risk of disconnecting the patient from any equipment connected to them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the health care field, much time and labor is spent transporting patients in wheelchairs and hospital gurneys. Many patients needing to be transported have other items or equipment associated with their health care needs that should be transported simultaneously with the patient. Often, the patient is physically attached to some items or equipment such as intravenous tubes (IV's), heart monitoring equipment, oxygen, ventilators, and respirators. Serious problems may arise if the patient is disconnected from these items, even if the disconnection is a relatively short and temporary one. Furthermore, some disconnections are not immediately noticeable by the healthcare provider, especially if the patient is sleeping, unconscious or unable to communicate effectively. Transporting these patients and their associated items generally requires the labor of at least two people, one to push the wheelchair or gurney and at least one to transport the other equipment. This presents the problem of moving the patient in unison with the equipment and minimizing the possibility of disconnecting the patient from any connected equipment since all people transporting must move together in a coordinated fashion. This is often very difficult to do if transporting the patient requires maneuvering around corners, over uneven surfaces, through crowded corridors or doors, or in places where there is only a small area available for any needed maneuvering (such as a hospital or nursing home room). If the people transporting do not move the patient in unison with their connected equipment, the risk of disconnecting the patient from the equipment rises. Furthermore, many health care facilities have responded to increasing costs and overhead by reducing the size of their labor force resulting in a shortage of labor available to transport patients. This may encourage the cutting of corners by employing just one person to transport both patient and equipment when more than one may be required to safely transport the patient and their equipment using currently available transportation equipment.
Other problems occur, using currently available transportation equipment, due to the transferring of equipment from a bedside to a carrier for transportation. If the equipment is heavy, there is a risk of backstrain to the healthcare provider. Furthermore, the equipment may be accidentally dropped or operational settings may be inadvertently changed if the controls are accidentally contacted by the caregiver. If there is not a convenient place to mount the equipment during transportation, the equipment may be placed in a position, including underneath the wheelchair or gurney, that reduces the visibility of any display the equipment may have. Additionally, owing to a lack of space, the equipment may have to be placed in an area that is inconvenient to access in emergency situations. This is especially true when equipment is mounted under a wheelchair or gurney for transportation. Mounting equipment under a wheelchair also subjects the equipment to possible damage due to incontinent patients.
Consequently, there is a need for an apparatus that reduces the number of people required to transport a patient when there is other equipment that must be transported simultaneously with the patient. There is also a need for an apparatus that minimizes the possibility of disconnecting a patient from any equipment to which they are connected. Another need in the art is an apparatus that minimizes the possibility of inadvertently changing the operational settings of that equipment during transportation. What is also needed is an apparatus that may be used as a standalone bedside unit to store equipment and a transportation unit which can be quickly and easily connected to a wheelchair for transportation. What is still further needed is an apparatus configured to hold equipment at a normal operating level allowing clear visibility at all times and easy access in emergency situations. Finally, what is needed is an apparatus designed to be connected to a wheelchair or gurney that is configured to hold and transport equipment such that one person can efficiently and safely transport both a patient and their equipment.